Canada· medium· informal
avoir des croûtes à manger
“to have crusts to eat”
Meaning
to still have a lot to learn
Explanation
Back when nothing on the plate went to waste, kids had to finish every last crust before leaving the table. Eating your croûtes became shorthand for grinding through the unglamorous work before you've earned any expertise.
Example
Il se prend pour un chef, mais il a encore des croûtes à manger.
He thinks he's a chef, but he's still got a lot to learn.
Origin
Comes from a time when nothing on the plate went to waste in Quebec and children were told to finish every last crust of bread. Eating your croûtes became a stand-in for doing the unglamorous, hard graft before you've earned your stripes.
Where
Quebec
Source